In a well crafted article on OpenVMS.org Bob Gezelter puts forth some excellent arguments for choosing OpenVMS as a development and delivery platform over other, currently popular environments. He presents the issues of stability, cost of ownership - especially operation, and seamless expandability. He also discusses the traits of OpenVMS in terms of some of the current "trendy" terms such as framework and virtualization.

These key, unique traits of OpenVMS are why you would choose it as your development and delivery platform. These traits are also what should be emphasized in the presentation of OpenVMS when selling to new customers or even those who have been away from OpenVMS for awhile.

The article can serve as a basis for WHY you would SELL OpenVMS rather than another computer environment to a customer. This is especially true for a customer looking for reliability, stability and seamless expandability in their computing environment. As Bob says, "If the telephone does not ring, we have succeeded...".

Yes, the article is technical in places - we support a technical environment - the arguments for or against an environment can get very technical. This information can and should be adapted by HP, the HP Community (Users, ISVs, VARs, Resellers, OEMs and Consultants) and others to help promote OpenVMS - still the BEST Operating System in the World!

I ran across this article while investigating a group mentioned on the HP Connect web site by Kees denHartigh - Kids On Computers. Well, Kids On Computers is currently working with a school in Mexico and has plans to help expand the exposure of students world wide to computers. They happen to be using Linux and other tools right now.

The above referenced article is my Chistian Einfeldt, an attorney in San Francisco helping to expose kids in an inner city school to computers. He is also using Linux.

But there is no reason this needs to be JUST Linux oriented. It could as easily be OpenVMS in a Non-Commercial/Educational environment. These are young kids who are learning about computers from the ground up and are happy to be getting the exposure and learning about internet and Open Source software.

This early exposure is going to go a long way to making these users comfortable with Linux. It could be used in a similar fashion for OpenVMS!

It is a matter of thinking a looking around the corner rather than just staying between the lines.

In the last month or so since we started the discussions about Open Source on OpenVMS there have been an increase of listed Open Source ports on the OpenVMS.org website. THANK YOU! Yes, thank you to all who have been listening and reading for taking the time to post information about known ports. There have been at least NINE new listings generated in the last month or so - a 10% increase. We know that there are many other ports out there that need this exposure.

Please take a moment and review the list and then submit a new posting if you are aware of a package or application or utility that is not listed. This development of collective, common knowledge is important to our effort to expand interest and use of OpenVMS - contribute, comment and be involved.

Among the applications which are new to the Open Source posting page are:

I have also taken it upon myself to submit listings for Info-Zip UNZIP/ZIP which have been around for a long time but which were not listed. I am sure there are other utilities and applications which need to be here. You probably know what they are and have all the information about them. Please, SHARE IT!

In the last few weeks I have been discussing the needs and requirements to revitalize the Open Source on OpenVMS Community. Along these lines I have been involved in discussions on various forums including: comp.os.vms, vms-sig-listserv, LinkedIn.com, my own VMSblog as well as Twitter and Facebook. The general consensus is that there needs to be communication, centralized repositories, coordination, continuity and critical mass. These "5-Cs" are all important to making the Open Source on OpenVMS Project succeed.

At present I can not say that any one of these issues is under control.

Communication:

We are a diverse community. Some of us are looking for simplification in our lives and processes and do not want to worry about some of the changes happening in technology and in fact would rather keep textual communication in clear ASCII. Others are involved in pushing the envelope to communicate to as many as possible. There are of course those that float in the middle. The challenge we face is having effective communication between those that use these diverse facilities. We currently have discussions and conversations going on the following platforms:

comp.os.vms newsgroupVMS-SIG@LISTSERV.ENCOMPASSUS.ORG LinkedIn.com OpenVMS Community Group and other DEC groups on the site Facebook.com Twitter.com community-connect.org various groups and blogs on the HP Connect web site VMSblog my own Blog oriented toward my thoughts and evangelism for OpenVMS OpenVMS.org OpenVMSHobbyist.com VAXnotes on Eisner at the mail.encompasserve.org site

What has come of these conversations? People are asking more questions. There is more interest in seeing something move forward in the Open Source on OpenVMS arena. The HP OpenVMS Team has started some discussions with us. This initial level of activity has shown there is still a community interest in moving this segment of the OpenVMS puzzle forward.

What has not happened? We are still hampered by the need to communicate in many different environments and styles. Ah to have some "super glue" to bind this environments together. I have a bit of that started with an interface between my VMSblog and Twitter. I have also been using the "AddThis" Firefox addon to help with some of the other areas but I still have not found the application that really ties things together.

So if there are suggestions or thoughts I would appreciate them.

Centralized Repositories:

Source Forge seems like the logical place for much of this work. This is especially true since the main line code trees of many Open Source packages are already resident. In discussions with folks in OpenVMS Engineering it sounds like this is the way they are leaning. They already has a history there with GNV (although the code on Source Forge has not been update since 30 July 2004...). Other sites have GNV including ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/openvms/opensource/ where version V2.01.002.1 resides as well as at ftp://encompasserve.org/gnv/ where John Malmberg has posted various fixes and updates of the work he has contributed.

OpenVMS.org has an excellent page on packages ported to OpenVMS (http://de.openvms.org/OpenVMS-Ports/). A few people have started to add information to this about new or currently unlisted applications and packages. This could just as easily be used as a site for any OpenVMS Freeware whether it be from the Freeware CD era or the DECUS tape environment or the current Open Source fad. I encourage you to add your packages here or add information about packages that are missing - EMACS for instance. There are many more that need to be updated and added as well.

The Freeware CD contributions and DECUS Tape contributions are another area of repository that needs attention. HP has indicated that they are working to make this process more flexible and timely. Specifically expect to see the ability to download specific applications rather than entire CD images or tape images. Also expect to see a mechanism to support the updating of applications to current versions are available in a timely fashion as well.

There is also some work being done to potentially identify a mechanism of providing porting resources. As an example my CCSS Interactive Learning OpenVMS Lab Systems offer access to OpenVMS/VAX and OpenVMS/Alpha at no charge. While we have not yet added compilers we could do so on request. I am also looking at adding and OpenVMS/I64 system to the mix and then clustering the Alpha and Integrity boxes so as to provide development and testing resources for Open Source on OpenVMS projects. There are other sites available, the Deathrow Cluster for instance. There is also a possibility of a facility provided by the OpenVMS Team.

Coordination:

This is one of the difficult ones. If I could wave a magic wand to facilitate this I would. I suspect this will take continued effort and management. It will also take the active particpation of application authors and evangelists to make sure their offerings are well represented and supported.

Documentation of best practices and solutions is very important. Currently this information is scattered in many areas and needs a location for focus and exchange of ideas and information.

Continuity:

None of this effort will be of any use if applications become orphaned or if the project leaders get hit by the proverbial bus. So the need to make sure that each application is accurately documented and archived so it may be supported in the future given the worst of possible situations. We have orphaned Open Source applications all over the web which were great ideas and are now lingering and potentially dying as their authors have gone on to newer, more "interesting" projects.

The OpenVMS Community should take it upon itself to make sure that the Open Source we use and contribute has the best possible documentation and community support possible, no matter what the application. We pride ourselves on supportability and documentation and really complain when it is not up to our expectations. With Open Source we need to make sure the documentation is what we would expect and the support is similarly excellent.

Critical Mass:

Each project/package/application/utility needs a minimum number of interested and active participants to ensure its success/completion. The need to be involved and push information and comment to the appropriate people is very important. The opportunity we have to move OpenVMS forward in ways which we want and with tools we find useful is here and making a firm commitment to these tools is necessary to show HP Management that the OpenVMS Community is viable and wants to see OpenVMS continue to be developed, thrive and be sold and support for many years to come.

I look forward to the many voices and hands within the OpenVMS Community creating a buzz and helping with the projects and all of us seeing the fruits of our labor mature and evolve.

As we move forward I will continue my efforts to communicate with each of you. I will also work to improve the efficiency of the communication and look forward to feedback and comment from any and all in the OpenVMS Community.

Seems like the need now is to get those interested in Open Source development and support on OpenVMS to have a point of focus and community. This is probably as difficult as any task within the effort to develop momentum within the OpenVMS community and is typical of all segments within the our community. I will layout where we are first.

Within the community we have people who are exploring new modes of communication and development. We also have people who view the tools at hand (listserv email, newsgroups, VAXnotes) as the tools to use, rather than move to new environments - i.e. social media, blogs. No matter how you look at it we are a relatively small community which needs good communication and a mechanism to facility communications between all our members and to help us focus on developing new momentum within the community as well as to attract new people.

Along these lines I would love to have some magic glue to allow me to post a message once and have it go everyplace we need it to go for effective communications. Anyone want to step in? Well, that current lack not withstanding, I am looking at making it happen the old fashion way for awhile as I cogitate on how to improve the efficiency of my effort. A bit of wandering hither and yon through the hills and dales of the wilderness of the internet.

I will be posting at various spot over the next new weeks to attempt to pull the various parties together so as to work toward developing a consensus on a path to facilitate the porting of open source packages to OpenVMS. The overall belief is that this effort needs active participation in the open source project communities of each package so as to show commitment and facilitate the incorporation of OpenVMS specific code in the main line code for all packages. Resources are another issue at times so we will also be exploring establishing facilities to support current efforts and expand to new packages.

For those that are not aware there is list on OpenVMS.org. We look to grow this list and expand its detail with the help of the community.

I welcome suggestions and comment on this process. I also welcome support - moral, vocal, and otherwise are appreciated.

I have no misconceptions about the project. There is much to do. I have time and can keep the effort up and keep working to pull interested parties together to help build the community and add to the critical mass we require.